Washing-machine



in); MW )Mm N. PETERS. PHcTqLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. DAVIS, OF TIFFIN, OHIO.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,574, dated vAugust 14, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. Davis, of Tiffin, in the county of .Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Washing-Machine; and I do hereby declare t-hat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, represents a .longitudinal vertical section of my invent-ion t-aken in the plane indicated by the line m, ro, Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3, is a detached sectional view of one of the guide grooves of the rubber.

Similar letters of reference in all the figures indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to construct the wash board and the rubber in such a manner, that the former can be adjusted to suit the height of the operator and the quantity of clothes to be operated upon and the latter being hinged yadapts itself to the clothes that may be piled up on the washboard. The means by which the washboard is made adjustable, are two grooves with several steps in the sides of the tub and a pawl or pawls catching into ratchet teeth on the lower edge or edges of the washboard. The rubber in this machine is also combined with an adjustable hook in such a manner, that by hooking said hook over the upper cross bar or handle of the rubber the clothes can be held tight between the surface of the rubber and that of the wash board for the purpose of facilitating the wringing of the same.

T o enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation with reference t-o the drawing.

A, is the tub or wash-box which is furnished with the stationary wash board B. This board is held in its position by pivots a, extending from its sides into grooves o, in the sides of the tub and it is adjustable to different inclinations, by means of several steps o, in the sides of the grooves b, as clearly shown in Fig. l. A pawl or pawls d, catching into ratchet tee-th e, on the under surface of the wash-board serves to steady the same in its position. By these means the wash board is adjusted to suit the height of the operator, when it is desired to clean out the tub or to pour in water and to introduce the clothes to be washed the wash boa-rd B can be turned up to a vertical position as shown in blue lines in Fig. l. The surface of the wash-board consist-s of a ser-ies .of rollers c, which turn easily `on their axles.

The sides of the wash-board are :provided with flanges f, with grooves g, and said grooves form the guides for the rollers L, that are secured to the ends yof the levers C, which carry the rubber D. The grooves are protected by brackets g ywith stops on their `ends to prevent the rollers running out of the grooves. These levers are united on their upper ends by a cross bar or handle E, and they are bent as clearly shown in Fig. l, so as to bring said handle above the edge of the tub. The rubber is secured to these levers by means of pivots z', in such a manner that the same can adjust itself to conform to the surface of the wash-board, or to the clothes which may be piled up thereon. The surface of the rubber is co1'- rugated so that the same in combination with the roller surface of the wash-board acts on every part of the clothes to be washed.

A hook F, attached to a leather belt or flexible strip j, of any other material is secured to the side of the tub, and said belt can be adjusted in different positions by means of a pin 7c, passing through holes Z, in said belt.

The operation is as follows: The water and the clothes to be washed are introduced into the tub A, and the wash-board is adjusted to suit the operator. The rubber D, is now lifted oif the roller surface of the wash-board and the end of the cloth to be washed is placed between the rubber and wash-board and a reciprocating motion is now given to the rubber. By this mot-ion the cloth is rubbed and squeezed and pushed down toward the lower end of the washboard and if one part of the cloth has been suiiiciently operated upon the rubber is raised and a fresh portion of the cloth is placed between the two surfaces and treated in the same manner as before, and so on, until the whole cloth is clean. When it is ready for wringing, it is folded over and one end of the same is squeezed between the rubber and the wash-board by slipping thc hook F, over the handle E, as shown in red outlines in Fig. l, and the other end of the cloth can now be taken hold pf with both hands and all the power of the operator can be exerted in wringing the cloth. By

these means the largest garment, or bed clothes or quilt can be wrung out With ease by one person. In the same manner all the clothes are treated and When done Washing, the Washboard may be taken out of the tub A, and the latter may be used for any other purpose if it is desired.

This machine is cheap, strong and durable; its parts are so constructed that they do not easily get out of order; it imitates hand labor in its operation and it can be operated With ease and with little exertion.

Having thus fully described my invention What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The arrangement of the grooves b, in the sides of the tub A, and furnished With steps c, in combination With the paWl or pawls cl, and ratchet teeth e, substantially as herein described for the purpose of ad- B, and reciprocating rubber D, of a hook n F, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose speciiied.

JOI-IN S. DAVIS.V

Vitnesses: l

JONAS C. CoNKEY, C. E. JORDAN. 

